Glossary of Terms

On reading inventories which often accompany Wills, it can be very difficult to decipher many of the words, especially as some would be in local dialect and with odd spellings. Here are some of the words you may come across.

Acare (ackare, acker, accor, anakr)

– acre

Addle

– to earn

Ale

– all

Andirons (end irons)

– horizontal bars on 3 short feet with upright pillar in front. They were placed on each side of the hearth to support burning wood

Apern (aporn apranne)

– apron

Apparayle (apparel, aprel, reparele)

– clothing

Aule

– hall

Ax

– to ask

Backsyde

– the buildings and yard behind the house

Bacyn (basene)

– basin

Auld

– old

Bage

– bag

Balandes (balances)

– scales

Balde (bareyne)

– barren

Ballies (balles, ballaysses, balwys, bellis)

– bellows

Bearing cloth

– christening robe or shawl

Bease (bese)

– beasts

Beddys (beede)

– bed

Bed hilling (berydynd)

– bedding

Besse

– bees

Bink (benk, binche, benche)

– bench

Boetts

– boots

Boke

– book

Boket (bowkitt)

– bucket

Bolokke

– bullock

Bord close (bord hillings)

– table cloths

Boute

– without

Branches

– chandeliers

Bruse

– brush

Bucking cooler (bucking tub)

– washing tub

Cafes

– calves

Caples (caplyes, capuls, capolles)

– horses

Caye

– cows

Caytie (cetle, keytell)

– kettle (an open cooking pot)

Charys (chers)

– chairs

Chaunlor

– candlestick

Chiste ( cheess, Kyste, chiest)

– chest

Chechin

– kitchen

Clock

– cloak

Close

– clothes

Deigest (dext)

– desk

Ewre / Ewer (youre, owre, ure, yer)

– pitcher for carrying water

Filids

– fields

Foole (fawlie, foulle, foyle)

– foal

Gakett

– jacket

Galland

– gallon

Geys, goys, gousse

– geese/goose

Gonne

– gun

Hallfer, heckfer

– heifer

Hey, hye

– hay

Hinde

– farm worker

Hobby

– pony or small horse

Hode

– old

Husband

– a husbandman, one who works the land

Husbandry gear

– farm equipment

Husslements

– minor household goods of little value

Jack

– device for turning the spit when roasting meat

Koo, Kyne

– cow(s)

Lathe, laithe

– barn

Maunger

– manger/feeding trough

Mazer

– deep plate or bow

Meden

– maid servant

Mester

– master of the house

Mullock

– rubbish

Nappery

– household linen especially tableware

Nellys

– nails

Pattens

– overshoes or clogs which raised the wearer an inch or two above the mud

Peges

– pigs

Pelowes

– pillows

Pond

– pound

Pullen

– poultry

Rement, rayment

– clothing

Saue

– saw

Seeing glass

– mirror

Selvar

– silver

Sevand

– servant

Sherne

– churn

Sheytes

– sheets

Soe

– a large tub

Soope

– soap

Sot sellares

– salt cellars

Stewe

– vessel for cooking

Stithie, stethe, stiddy

– anvil

Tack

– tenancy of land, a lease

Taverne

– a cellar

Touled

– towel

Tumbler

– drinking cup with rounded bottom so that it could not be put down until empty